Historic Jersey

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History of Jersey

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The purpose of this project is to give a historic background to Jersey, to provide information about those individuals of Historic importance linked to the county and to add links to any profiles of significant people linked to Jersey who have profiles on GENi.

See also Jersey Main Page

Battles

• The Battle of Jersey (6 January 1781) was an attempt by French forces to invade Jersey and remove the threat the island posed to French and American shipping in the American War of Independence.

Castles

• Câtel Fort
• Elizabeth Castle
• Fort Regent
• Fort Henry, Jersey
• Fort Leicester, Jersey
• Grosnez Castle
• La Crête Fort
• L’Etacquerel Fort
• Mont Orgueil
• Saint Aubin's Fort

History - over view

Timeline

Pre-history

12th Century

15th Century

Jersey has no political parties with all representatives being elected as non-partisans.

Chief Ministers of Jersey

The Chief Minister of Jersey is the head of government of Jersey, leading the Council of Ministers. The head of government is not directly elected by the people but rather by the legislature (the States of Jersey).

The post was created by reforms to the machinery of government to change from a consensus style of government by committee of the whole States of Jersey to a system of cabinet government under a Chief Minister.

The first Chief Minister of Jersey was elected on 5 December 2005 following the Jersey elections, 2005.

• Frank Walker 2005-2008
• Terry Le Suer 2008-2011

Governors of Jersey

The post of Governor of Jersey became a titular sinecure, and a Lieutenant Governor was appointed to actually carry out the functions of the office. William Beresford, 1st Viscount Beresford, was the last titular Governor of Jersey; since his death in 1856 the Crown has been formally and constitutionally represented in Jersey by the Lieutenant Governor.

• 1470-1483 - Richard Harliston (Captain in Chief of Jersey)

Note Harliston had been a Groom of the Chamber and vice-Admiral of England for Edward IV, - but not a knight. The 'Sir' title was a recurring Victorian inaccuracy. Shaw's definitive heraldic Book "Knights of England" doesn't list a knighthood for him, and in an Act of Attainder of King Henry VII, Harliston is referred to as "Richard Harliston, Esquire". The College of Arms Archivist concurs. Contemporary sources - CPR 1 Henry VII - and 3 Henry VIII - transcriptions available in the "Rolls Series" Volumes for the Reign of Henry VII viewable at ORB online.

• 1486-1488 - Matthew Baker and Davy Phillippe, joint- Capteynes & Governors of Jersey & Guernsey, - and then comes

Note: In 1488, King Henry VII "split the Command", and posted Davy Phillipe to be sole Governor of Guernsey. While Matthew Baker remained in sole Command in Jersey. The Appointment Warrants for both men delegate to them the ultimate military, civil, and legal Powers.

• 1488-1494 - Matthew Baker, sole Capteyne & Governor of Jersey
• 1494-1500 - Thomas Overay
• 1500-1502 - Jean Lempriere
• 1502-1531 - Sir Hugh Vaughan (first to be known as Governor)
• 1532-1534 - Sir Anthony Ughtred
• 1534-1536 - Sir Arthur Darcy
• 1536-1537 - Sir Thomas Vaux, Lord Vaux
• 1537-1550 - Sir Edward Seymour
• 1550-1574 - Sir Hugh Paulet
• 1547-1590 - Sir Amyas Paulet
• 1590-1600 - Anthony Paulet
• 1600-1603 - Sir Walter Raleigh
• 1603-1630 - Sir John Peyton
• 1631-1643 - Sir Thomas Jermyn
• 1644-1651 - Sir Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of St Albans
• 1651-1654 - Colonel James Heane
• 1655-1659 - Colonel Robert Gibbon
• 1659-1660 - Colonel John Mason
• 1660 - Colonel Carew Raleigh
• 1660-1665 - Sir Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of St Albans
• 1665-1679 - Sir Thomas Morgan, 1st Baronet
• 1679-1684 - Sir John Lanier
• 1684-1704 - The Lord Jermyn
• 1704-1722 - General Henry Lumley
• 1723-1749 - Richard Temple, 1st Viscount Cobham
• 1749-1761 - Lieutenant General John Huske
• 1761-1772 - George Keppel, 3rd Earl of Albemarle
• 1772-1795 - Field Marshal Henry Seymour Conway
• 1795-1796 - Field Marshal Sir George Howard
• 1796-1807 - The Marquess of Townshend
• 1807-1820 - The Earl of Chatham
• 1820-1854 - The Lord Beresford (Last Governor)

Lieutenant Governors of Jersey.

The Lieutenant Governor of Jersey is the representative of the British monarch in the Bailiwick of Jersey, a Crown dependency of the British Crown. The Lieutenant Governor's official residence (Government House) in St. Saviour was depicted on the Jersey £50 note 1989–2010.

• 1703 - Col. Thomas Collier • 1738 - Maj-Gen. Jean Cavalier

Lieutenant Governor and Colonel on Staff:

• 1749 - General John Huske
• 07 Jul 1770 - Lt-Col. Rudolph Bentinck (acting)
• 4 April 1771 - Major Moses Corbet
• 6 January 1781 - Major Francis Peirson
• 5 October 1797 - Lt-Gen. Andrew Gordon
• 21 June 1806 - Gen. Sir George Don, GCB, GCH[8]
• 8 October 1814 - Gen. Sir Tomkyns Hilgrove Turner, GCH
• 9 May 1816 - Lt-Gen. Hugh Mackay Gordon
• 23 July 1821 - Gen. Sir Colin Halkett, GCB, GCH, GCTE
• 26 November 1830 - Lt-Gen. Sir William Thornton, KCB
• 22 April 1835 - Maj-Gen. Archibald Campbell, CB
• 14 September 1838 - Lt-Gen. Sir Edward Gibbs, KCB
• 16 January 1847 - Maj-Gen. Sir James Henry Reynett, KCB, KCH
• 30 April 1852 - Gen. Sir James Frederick Love, GCB, KH
• 30 January 1857 - Maj-Gen. Godfrey Charles Mundy
• 18 September 1860 - Maj-Gen. Sir Robert Percy Douglas
• 5 October 1862 - B. Loch (acting)
• 23 October 1863 - Lt-Gen. Sir Burke Douglas Cuppage, KCB
• 1 October 1868 - Maj-Gen. Philip Melmoth Nelson Guy, CB
• 1 October 1873 - Lt-Gen. Sir William Sherbrooke Ramsay Norcott, KCB
• 1 October 1878 - Lt-Gen. Lothian Nicholson, CB
• 1 October 1883 - Maj-Gen. Henry Wray, CMG
• 1 November 1887 - Lt-Gen. Charles Brisbane Ewart, CB Lieutenant Governor and Commanding the Troops:
• 1 November 1892 - Lt-Gen. Sir Edwin Markham, KCB
• 0 May 1895 - Lt-Gen. Sir Edward Hopton, KCB
• 1 November 1900 - Maj-Gen. Henry Richard Abadie, CB
• 1904 - Maj-Gen. Hugh Sutlej Gough, CB, CMG
• 16 June 1910 - Maj-Gen. Sir Alexander Nelson Rochfort, KCB, CMG
• 7 October 1916 - Maj-Gen. Sir Alexander Wilson, KCB
• 29 October 1920 - Maj-Gen. Sir William Douglas Smith, KCB, KCVO
• 1924 - Maj-Gen. Sir Francis Richard Bingham, KCB, KCMG, JP
• 28 May 1929 - Maj-Gen. Edward Henry Willis, CB, CMG
• 28 May 1934 - Maj-Gen. Sir Horace de Courcy Martelli, KBE, CB, DSO
• 1939 - Maj-Gen. James Murray Robert Harrison, CB DSO

(German Occupation 1940–1945)

Head of the British Military Government:

• 12 May 1945 - L.A. Freeman

Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief:

• 25 August 1945 - Lt-Gen. Sir Arthur Edward Grassett, KBE, CB, DSO, MC
• 16 October 1953 - Adm. Sir Randolph Stewart Gresham Nicholson, KBE, CB, DSO, DSC
• 15 November 1958 - Gen. Sir George Erskine, GCB, KBE, DSO
• 15 January 1964 - Vice-Adm. Sir John Michael Villiers, KCB, OBE
• 30 June 1969 - Air Chf Mshl Sir John Gilbert Davis, GCB, OBE, MA
• 2 September 1974 - Gen. Sir Geoffrey Richard Desmond Fitzpatrick, GCB, DSO, MBE, MC
• 26 November 1979 - Gen. Sir Peter John Frederick Whiteley, GCB, OBE
• 9 January 1985 - Adm. Sir William Thomas Pillar, GBE, KCB
• 1990 - Air Mshl Sir John Matthias Dobson Sutton, KCB
• September 1995 - Gen. Sir Michael John Wilkes, KCB, OBE
• 24 January 2001 - Air Chf Mshl Sir John Cheshire, KBE, CB
• 1 April 2006 - Lt-Gen Sir Andrew Ridgway, KBE, CB
• 26 September 2011 - Gen. Sir John McColl, KCB, CBE, DSO

Bailiffs of Jersey

In 1290, separate bailiffs for Guernsey and Jersey were appointed.

The list below (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bailiffs_of_Jersey) of bailiffs is only reliably traceable from Philippe L’Evesque’s appointment in 1277, although earlier bailiffs are mentioned and the office may date from before 1204.

16th century

• Helier de Carteret 1513-1515
• Helier de Carteret 1516-1523
• Helier de Carteret 1529-1560
• Hostes Nicolle 1561-1564
• John Dumaresq 1566-1583
• George Paulett 1583-1586
• John Dumaresq 1586-1587
• George Paulett 1587-1591
• John Dumaresq 1591-1594
• George Paulett 1594-1614

17th century

• Jean Herault 1614-1621
• William Parkhurst 1622-1624
• Jean Herault 1624-1626
• Philippe de Carteret 1627-1643
• Michel Lemprière 1643
• Sir George de Carteret, 1st Bt., 1643-1651
• Michel Lemprière 1651-1660
• Sir George de Carteret, 1st Bt., 1660-1661
• Sir Philippe de Carteret, 1st Bt., 1661-1662
• Philippe de Carteret 1662-1665
• Edouard de Carteret 1665-1682
• Sir Philippe de Carteret, 2nd Bt., 1682-1693
• Edouard de Carteret 1694-1703

18th century

• Sir Charles de Carteret, 3rd Bt., 1703-1715
• John, Lord Carteret 1715-1763
• Robert Carteret, 3rd Earl Granville 1763-1776
• Henry Frederick, Lord Carteret 1776-1826

19th century

• Thomas Le Breton 1826-1831
• Jean de Veulle 1831-1848
• Thomas Le Breton 1848-1857
• Jean Hammond 1858-1880
• Sir Robert Pipon Marett 1880-1884
• George Clement Bertram 1884-1898
• Edouard Charles Malet de Carteret 1898

20th century

• Lord Coutanche, Bailiff 1935-1962
• W. H. Venables Vernon 1899-1931
• Charles E. Malet de Carteret 1931-1935
• Sir Alexander Coutanche (created Lord Coutanche in 1961) 1935-1962
• Cecil Stanley Harrison 1961-1962
• Sir Robert Le Masurier 1962-1975
• Sir Frank Ereaut 1975-1985
• Sir Peter Crill 1986-2000

21st century

• Sir Philip Bailhache 2000-2009
• Sir Michael Birt 2009–present

Viscounts of Jersey

The Viscount of Jersey (French: Vicomte de Jersey) has, since the 14th century, been the chief executive officer of the Royal Court of Jersey.

• 1708 - 1716- David Bandinel, Deputy - Richard Dumaresq (1715)
• 1716/7- 1741- George Bandinel Sr., Deputy - George Bandinel Jr. (1723); John Dumaresq (1731); Helier De Carteret (1735); Charles Marett (1741)
• 1741- 1743- George Bandinel Jr.
• 1743- 1785- Thomas Durell, Deputy - Philip D'Auvergne (1759-1761, 1762); Charles Marett (1761); Clement Le Montais (1763-1764); Nicholas Messervy (1764-1768); George Benest (1768)
• 1785- 1842- Matthew Gosset , Deputy - Thomas Gallichan (1785-1796); Thomas-Louis Lerrier (1796); Francis Marett (1799); John Winter (1802-1812); Charles de Ste Croix (1812-1823); Philip Le Gallais (1823-1842)
• 1842- 1875- John Le Couteur
• 1917- 1929- Edmund Toulmin Nicolle
• 1946- 1974- Herbert Vyvian Benest
• 1974 - 1981- Philip Misson, Deputy - Dennis Ferbrache (1974-1981)
• 1981 - ... Michael Wilkins, Deputy - Dennis Ferbrache (1981-1996), Peter de Gruchy (1996 to 2012), Advocate Mark Harris (2013-)

References, Sources and further reading

• Assistance from Julian Wilson gratefully received
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lieutenant_Governor_of_Guernsey#List_o...
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bailiffs_of_Jersey

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